Hawks vs Nuggets: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups

Atlanta faces the defending champion Denver Nuggets at home tonight

Two teams on three-game losing streaks will face off at State Farm Arena tonight, but they are both very different. The Hawks are now 9-12 and in need of a win to avoid sinking further in the Eastern Conference, while the Denver Nuggets are looking to get back to looking like the unstoppable juggernaut they appeared to be at the very beginning of the season. 

One of the reasons that Denver has lost three in a row has been the poor shooting games from two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Jokic is one of the most efficient players in the NBA, but he has struggled shooting the basketball for two straight games and the Nuggets have struggled because of it. 

Both teams could use wins to get back on track and it could be a high-scoring affair tonight at State Farm Arena. 

Let's break the game down. 

Game Preview

Can the Hawks slow down Nikola Jokic / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The injury report could give a good indication of how this game could go tonight. De'Andre Hunter is questionable to play tonight and if he can't play, Atlanta is going to have a hard time replacing him. 

Hunter is an inconsistent player, but his absence could be really bad for the Hawks. Atlanta's defense is already struggling in every way and without Johnson, Hunter is by far their best wing defender. If he is out tomorrow, a lot of responsibility is going to be put on Saddiq Bey, who is not a very good defender.

So who would start if Hunter can't play?

The two wing players that have gotten minutes off the bench have been Wesley Matthews and Garrison Matthews, but I have a hard time believing Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is going to do that. Neither player has been very good this season and doesn't need to play major minutes.

There are two other intriguing options. Onyeka Okongwu could start at the four and move Bey over to the three. Another option could be having Bogdan Bogdanovic start in place of Hunter, but with Trae Young off the injury report and presumably back in the starting lineup, I assume Snyder wants to be able to bring Bogdanovic off the bench. Hopefully, Hunter will be able to play and Snyder won't have to make a tough decision like that. If Hunter is out, would that open up minutes for AJ Griffin? Snyder seems reluctant to play him, but we'll see.

After missing Friday's game against Philadelphia, Trae Young is going to be back. The offense is among the NBA's best when Young is in the lineup, ranking 2nd in the NBA in PPG, 20th in field goal percentage, 12th in three-point percentage, 6th in free throw attempts, 2nd in offensive rebounding, and 19th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 5th in points per 100 possessions, 17th in effective field goal percentage, 15th in turnover percentage, third in offensive rebounding percentage, and 6th in free throw rate. 

As good as the offense has been this year, they have slowed down and played below their averages over the past couple of games. 

De'Andre Hunter guarding Tobias Harris / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

One area where I think Atlanta could have an advantage over the Nuggets is the bench play. Even without Saddiq Bey coming off the bench, Atlanta has Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu, two proven players off the bench, and that is where the Nuggets have struggled this year. They are playing a lot of young players off the bench and you can tell they miss a guy like Bruce Brown. It could get a lot better as the year goes on, but right now their bench is not very good. 

The Nuggets defense can stop the Hawks though. Denver is 8th in PPG allowed, 12th in field goal percentage allowed, and 15th in three-point percentage. Per Cleaning the Glass, Denver is 13th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 10th in effective field goal percentage allowed. Aaron Gordon is the best defender in this game in my opinion and he could have a big impact on this game. 

The Hawks' defense is going to have a hard time with this Nuggets offense. When they are completely healthy, it is fair to say that Denver has the most complete starting five in the NBA. They are 14th in PPG, 4th in field goal percentage, 15th in three-point percentage, 13th in offensive rebounding, and 2nd in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Denver is 11th in points per 100 possessions, 9th in effective field goal percentage, 6th in turnover percentage, 10th in offensive rebounding rate, and 30th in free throw rate. 

Nikola Jokic can say he is the best basketball player in the world and you won't get much of an argument from anyone. Jokic is going for his third MVP trophy and is currently averaging 28.4 PPG, 13.0 RPG, and 9.6 APG. He has struggled shooting the past two games but has been dominant this season and the MVP favorite. When he is on the bench, the Hawks have to win those minutes and by a good margin. If they don't, it is hard to see Atlanta winning this game. 

Viewing and Betting Information

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks are underdogs tonight, as they are 2.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 240.5.

Injury Report 

For the Hawks, Hunter is questionable tonight (right quad tendon soreness) and his status is going to be worth monitoring. Rookies Kobe Bufkin and Mouhamed Gueye are also out and so is Jalen Johnson. 

Starting Lineups

Dejounte Murray vs the 76ers / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G- Dejounte Murray

F- De'Andre Hunter

F- Saddiq Bey

C- Clint Capela

Nuggets

G- Jamal Murray

G- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

F- Michael Porter Jr

F- Aaron Gordon

C- Nikola Jokic

If Hunter does not play, I will be interested to see what Snyder does with the starting lineup. He could go several ways, but hopefully, Hunter will be able to go tonight. 

Player to Watch on the Hawks- Clint Capela

Capela is going to be tasked with doing the impossible tonight and that is guarding Jokic. Capela has to keep Jokic off the boards and prevent the Nuggets from getting second-chance opportunities. If he can, the Hawks will have a chance to win the game. 

Player to Watch on the Nuggets- Nikola Jokic

This is the easy answer, but the Nuggets have lost the past couple of games and a lot of it has to do with Jokic not playing up to his dominant levels we have grown accustomed to. If Jokic plays like the MVP, it will be hard for the Hawks to win. If he is still shooting poorly, that opens the door for the Nuggets to lose. 

Prediction

Even if Hunter plays, the Nuggets are going to be too tough of a team for Atlanta to beat tonight. They are going to take advantage of the Hawks's poor defense and Jokic is going to get back to playing at his usual level. 

Final Score: Nuggets 124, Hawks 118

No, The Atlanta Hawks Do Not Need To Trade For Zach LaVine

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